Frequently asked questions... Answered! What is your style? I consider myself a documentary photographer because my primary goal is to capture your wedding day as it naturally unfolds in front of me while interfering as little as possible. However, I will not hesitate to step in and suggest an area with more flattering lighting, etc. And of course during portraits, I will offer some direction and pose you. After all, I am there to make you look your absolute best! Do you take posed family photos? Definitely! A wedding collection would be complete without them. They are such an important part of your wedding day collection for many reasons, but most importantly because sadly not everyone in your family will be around forever, so these photos will hold a special place in preserving your loved ones for yourself and future generations. How long will it take till we see our photographs after our wedding?! A select few will be posted to my blog and social media within 10 days of your wedding. From there, the full set of the entire day’s images will be posted to your personal online gallery within 30 days of your wedding date. If it is possible, we schedule a viewing consultation at this same time for you to come into my home studio with your new spouse and parents to view a beautiful slideshow of each and every gorgeous image full screen. It is at this time that you begin the selection process for the album, thank yous, and framed prints and canvases for your home. How large are the images that you deliver? Can I make my own prints from them? The files that are delivered come in two folders. The first folder contains web-ready file sizes with my logo for online sharing only. The second folder contains the files without my logo sized for printing anything up to an 8x10. I want you to be able to make as many small prints for friends and family as you want, but larger display calls for additional attention to detail and higher printing standards. You will be able to place orders for larger pieces both during the post-wedding viewing consultation and through an online gallery. What is the difference between the prints we get from you and those we can buy at a retail store with the images you give us? and do you have any recomendations for where to send those small prints that i can make from my usb? Every image that gets ordered in person or through your personal online gallery is approved by me, and goes through an additional retouching, color correction and sharpening process, in order to ensure that every image that goes out is up to the standard you would expect and ready to be hung on your wall. The longevity of the prints, canvases, albums and other products you order from me are guaranteed not to yellow or fade for 100 years. For your small prints, I would suggest using MPIX.COM, as their prices are competitive, quality is much better than a drug store, and shipping is fast. Do you retouch our images? I take a lot of photographs on your wedding day and with your trust, I loosely edit them down to the 800-1,200 that best represent your wedding day. Then, I go through every single image and adjust the color, density, and remove any major distractions, so the final images you see are just right. Do you travel for weddings and is there an additional cost? Most definitely! My normal service area of PA, NY, & NJ, and within a 90 mile radius of my home in Chester Country is included at no additonal cost. Any states beyond that are quoted based on travel costs for me and my second shooter. Are you insured? Yes, most definitely yes. Both equipment and liability insured.
Will I need more than one photographer? I work with a second photographer every time, especially as some weddings can be larger and more complex. Special moments can happen simultaneously at different locations, so a second photographer is a great way to gain another perspective as well as more comprehensive coverage especially for preparation and candids during the ceremony and reception. I build this cost into my prices ahead of time, so you are guarenteed complete coverage no matter what. Are you a member of any professional assocations for photographers? Yep! I am a proud member of the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) . Do you require a deposit and is it refundable? I require a $500 non-refundable deposit to reserve your wedding date. The deposit is applied towards your package balance. You have my deposit, what happens if you don’t show up?! Let me start by saying that I have not missed a wedding ever and I don’t ever want to. My couples and I spend so much time working together, calling, emailing, planning and meeting to prepare for this one special day. I couldn’t imagine missing it and not having the opportunity of sharing it with them. I want you to have a great experience with me and have gorgeous photographs to brag about. That being said if for some reason I was personally in a neardeath experience (the only thing that could possibly stop me from being there!), my second shooter would take over as the main photographer, as your date is saved in her calendar as well as mine upon booking. How should I structure my timeline in order to best accomidate the photography? GREAT QUESTION! Here is the ideal timing for each event to take place on your wedding day and an example timeline: 1 hour minimum“Getting Ready” 30 minutes Groomsmen + Bridesmaids (seperate) 30 minutes Bridal Party (together) 30-45 minutes Couple Portraits 30-45 minutes Family Formals (it takes quite some time to round everyone up!) Sample timeline (not including a “first look”): 11:30am: Photographers arrive 12:30pm: Dress on 1:30-2pm: Bridesmaids + Groomsmen Portraits (seperate) 2pm: Leave for ceremony ~RELAX~ 3pm: Ceremony begins 3:30: Ceremony ends 3:30-4pm: Family Formals 4pm: Cocktail hour begins 4-4:30: Bridal Party 4:30-5: Couple Portraits 5pm: Reception begins 9pm: Reception ends
Sample timeline (WITH a “first look”): 10am: Photographers arrive 11am: Dress on 11:30-12pm: First Look 12-1pm: Bridal Party (together + seperate) 1-1:45: Couple’s Portraits 1:45-2:15: Immediate Family Formals 2:15: Leave for ceremony 3pm: Ceremony begins 3:30: Ceremony ends 3:30-4pm: Extended Family Formals 4pm: Cocktail hour begins 5pm: Reception begins 9pm: Reception ends
But what if I don’t want to do a 1st look AND i want to enjoy my cocktail hour? Hey! This was the same question I had for my OWN wedding! My husband and I did not want to see one another beforehand but we didn’t want cocktail hour to be so stressful for pictures, so we did our couples portraits AFTER the wedding was OVER! Yes, we did a POST-WEDDING session the day after we came home from our honeymoon. I put my dress back on and he put a suit on and we got to ENJOY our portraits together without 150+ people around!
What is a post-wedding session, and is it included in our package? If not is it extra? My signature package includes EITHER an engagement session OR a post-wedding session already included in the price, from which you can choose one of the two. If you would like to have both, a standard portrait session is $250. Post- wedding sessions are designed to give the bride a chance to step back into her dress and relive those beautiful moments with her new husband, minus the chaos of the wedding day. It’s two hours of uninterrupted kisses and hugs, meanwhile capturing the beautiful portraits that every bride and groom deserves to have hanging in their home. Here are some additonal positives to this type of session: 1. You get to try a different hair, makeup, or outfit style -> For us: Colin LOVES my hair down, but for the wedding day it just wasn’t practical (especially with a June wedding). Also, if I had my hair down I never would have been able to use my beautiful veil and blusher! So I had a chance to have my hair the way I really wanted envisioned it for portraits, without the hassle of having it stuck to my neck all night. ALSO, Colin hated his tux. He was swimming in it! Many tux rentals are generic sizes and not a custom fit, which made it look baggy, something he was unhappy with. For the post-wedding session he got to wear a brand new custom tailored suit that he had just gotten as a gift but had been unable to wear. The difference in the pictures is striking! 2. You get to be more personal or artistic with a different location ->As I had mentioned, Lake Galena is a very special place for Colin and I. One day, we hope to live in this area and raise a family here, and how awesome would it be to have family pictures in the future in the same spot as our wedding pictures! One my my favorite things to do is eat lunch with Colin on this dock, and one day I want to take my children to this same dock and have a picnic. The images from the post wedding session are so special to me because of that. 3. You’re not worried about your dress getting dirty. -> Yeah, I sat on the ground and didn’t think twice about it. I also threw my veil in the air (no it didn’t land in the water..almost…)
When it’s all said and done, i invest my time, money, and creativity into you as a couple. Here is a basic breakdown of what I provide for you from start to finish: 4+ hours in emails and communications pre-wedding 2 hour engagement session 3 hours culling, editing, exporting, and uploading engagement photos 1 hour posting to blog, social media, and client gallery 3 hours wedding day preparation- preparing gear, communicating with other vendors/coordinator, researching, visiting the venue 2 hours average travel time to wedding ALL DAY WEDDING COVERAGE (Average 10 hours shooting) 2 hours backing up wedding photos 25 + hours culling, sorting, editing, exporting, and uploading wedding photos 1 hour posting to blog, social media, and client gallery 2 hours post-wedding consultation 12 + hours advanced retouching and album design ans delivery Total hours spent : 67 Plus expenses for employees, sales tax, self-employment tax, income tax, liability and equipment insurance, transportration, software, and additional fees included in running a full time business
So what IS my pricing exactly? ...
The Experience Engagement or post wedding portrait session All Day Wedding coverage 2 photographers online gallery customized usb with all images
$2,200 OR $3,0oo with album Add-Ons Save The Dates & Thank You Cards $50 Design Fee + $50 per 25 pack Enagement Guest book [ $300 ] Leather Wedding Album [ $1,000 ] Duplicate Parent Album [ $500 ] Engagement/Bridal/Post-Wedding Portrait Session [$250 (Digital negatives not included)] Framed Prints and Gallery Wraps [ Starting at $200 ]
All pricing is subject to 6% sales tax
So what is going to last? Your spouse Your rings Your photographs The flowers will die. Your dress will be packed away. The cake will be eaten. The favors will be taken. You will save one piece of stationary. The money will be spent.
It all happens in one day. how do you want to remember that day?